Bids for Makkah Metro project halted: report

Saudi Arabia’s Makkah Mass Rail Transit (MMRT) has not requested an extension of 'bid bonds' (bank guarantees) submitted by the consortia willing to take part in the tendering process for engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts, to build Lines B and C, MEED reported.

The government body did not request a further renewal of the bank guarantees submitted by contractors, an unidentified source told MEED.

MMRT had received in 2015 bids for the civil works, rolling stock and systems contracts for the metro project. Awards for the four packages, worth $8 billion, were expected to be issued in the same year, but the work was put on hold after the government ordered a review of all major contracts.

Last year, Saudi Public Transport Authority President, Rumaih Al Rumaih said Makkah Metro and several other planned metro and rail schemes will be developed under public-private partnership (PPP) model.